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ZAGREB, the capital of Croatia, -situated on the slopes of Medvednica Mountain (Zagrebacka Gora) and along the banks of the Sava river; elevation 120 m; population 706,770. The favourable geographic position in the south-western part of the Pannonian Basin which extends to the Alpine, Dinaric, Adriatic and Pannonic regions, provides the best valuation of traffic connection between Central Europe and the Adriatic Sea. Zagreb is a big Croatian tourist centre, not only in terms of transit from West and Central Europe to the Adriatic Sea but also as a tourist destination. The city with a tradition of almost one thousand years celebrated in 1994 its 900th birthday. Zagreb is not only rich in cultural and historical monuments, museums and galleries, it also has a variety of modern shops, and offers good quality of diversified restaurants as well as sports and recreation facilities. It is a big centre of congress tourism, economic and business events and trade fairs not only in Croatia but also in this part of Europe. Being an important junction point, it has road, air, railway and bus connections with European metropolises and all bigger cities and tourist resorts in Croatia. Zagreb has rich civil and cultural heritage, dating from the pre-historic period (Veternica Cave, Palaeolithic) and archaeological finds of the Roman culture (scitarjevo) up to the present. The historical part of the town, the Upper Town and Kaptol are a unique urban core even in European terms, and thus represent the target of sightseeing tours. The old town, its streets and squares can be reached on foot, starting from Ban Josip Jelacic Square, the central part and the heart of Zagreb, or by a funicular in the nearby Tomiceva Street. The old core of the town includes many famous buildings, churches, museums and institutions as well as pleasant restaurants and coffee bars. The history, art and culture not only of Zagreb and Croatia but also of Europe and the world, can be seen by walking through the large number of Zagreb museums. Around thirty collections in museums and galleries comprise more than 3.6 million various exhibits, excluding church and private collections. Only the Archaeological Museum (Nikola Subic Zrinski Square 19) disposes of 400,000 objects, not all of them being exhibited. The holdings include evidence of Croatian presence in this area as well as rare samples which made the museum known in the whole world. The most famous are the Egyptian collection, the mummy and bandages with the oldest Etruscan inscription in the world as well as the numismatic collection. A part of the museum is set aside for the collection of stone monuments dating back predominantly to the Roman -period. The city offers rich cultural and artistic enjoyment. There are about 20 permanent or seasonal theatres and stages. The Croatian National Theatre is the most impressive building among them; the most famous of concert halls is the Concert Hall "Vatroslav Lisinski", named after the composer of the first Croatian opera. Numerous shops, boutiques, store houses and shopping centres offer a variety of good quality clothes. World famous Zagreb souvenirs include: the ball-point pen, invented by Slavoljub Penkala from Zagreb more than 80 years ago, or the tie, an accessory named after Croatian horsemen who fought on the European fronts from the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century up to the French Revolution, wearing characteristic scarves around their necks. The offer of Zagreb includes good-quality crystal, china and ceramics, nice wicker or straw baskets, top-quality Croatian wines and gastronomic products. |
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